Can-feeding machine



Dec. 25, 1928.

' 1,69 @mi R. M. HUDDLEsToN CAN FEEDING MACHINE Filed May 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l i` I T o "j j r H INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 2 5, 1928; A

. R. M. HUDDLEsToN CAN FEEDING MACHINE 42 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 3, 1926 INVENTOR. MM IIAQQMMM fwd A TTORNEYS.

y hasta! nec. 25, 192s."

' UNITED STAT-Es B'OBEBT I. HUDDLEBTON, 0Fl

@AN FRANCISCO, CALII'OBNIA.

cnn-ranma momma.

5. Application led Iay,

. This invention relates to can feeding machines and-particularly to a machine for arranging open-ended cans and discharging the sameywith the open ends all pointing in the same direction. It is the primary object of my invention to provide an improved machine for performing this operation.

My improved machine herein com rises a hopper into which the cans may/be umped promiscuously.v A conveyor is provided for n taking these cans from the hopper in a definite arrangement and deliveringl the same to another conveyor, and .cooperating mechanism which arranges the cans and discharges the same onto a further conve or either in the upright position or with t e open ends thereof pointing forwardl Cooperating means are provided for li tin the downturnedcans to an upright position, vwhereby all the cans will be discharged from the last named conveyor with their ends all pointing in one direction. It is another object of m invention to provide an improved can feedZ and arrangingmachine of this type.

illustrated one speci c 'embodiment of my invention, but it will be understood -that the invention can be otherwise embodied and that the drawin are not tobe construed as definving or limiting the scope of the invention, the claimsvappen ed to'this specification being relied'l upon for that purpose.

Referring to the figures ofthe drawing: Figure 1r is a side elevation of my improved machine.. l

Figure 2 is-a plan view thereof. Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the machine. r' Figure 4 isan enlargedsectional vie taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

on line V--V of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the 'frameof my machine2 at one end of which is a hopper 2 for receiving the cans to be arranged and at the other end of which is a belt conveyor 3 for receiving the arranged cans. Intermediate the hopper 2 vandl belt 3 .are three con veyors indicated at 4, 5 and 6 and a `chute '7 between the, conveyors 5 andc6. f

- The conveyor 4 is carried on shafts V8 and 9 and as illustrated, is'adapted to carry eight -rows of cans upwardlyfrom the hop er 2.

Guide rails 10 are provided betweent e adjacent rows andas illustrated, such rails are provided along the entire conveying In the accompantying drawings, I have" Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken 1986. Serial H0.`1046,184.

intermediate wheels 15. A pair of'abutment plates 16 are provided above the wheels 15 just outside the belts (Figs. 1 and 5). The .arrangement of these plates is such that a can in the downward position shown in Fig. 5 does. not touch -the same, but a can on end would be engaged against these plates and, due to the inertia of the can, would be tipped downward forwardly. Therefore, all the Acans are in the downward position after they pass the wheels4 15.'

The chute 7 receives the cans from the conveyor and carries the same downward until `.they Strike against a foot 17 ivoted at 18.

ing cam 20, a roller 21 on the rod engaging in the cam groove 20.I The cam rocks the foot clockwise in a manner depositin the can onto the conveyor 6, and the operation is such that the can is deposited onto the conveyor either in up-right position with the open end up ermost or with `the open end thereof pointing toward the feed end of the machin The operation of the foot 17 is shown in Fig. 3. Should a'can come down the chute 7` bottom' foremost, the bottom will rest against the foot and when the foot pivots to the position illustrated in broken linesl (Fig. 3) ,t e can will slide downward onto the conveyor 5, either resting in an upright position on the conveyor ortipping towards the front of the machine. In actual practice,

the quick movement of the belts 6. Should a can come down the chute 7 open end foremost,

c theV open end will-engage over "the foot and'-n pivotal movement of the foot will throw the' ner shown in Fig. 4, until it engages a inst A rod 19 connects the foot wit a quick actioo n most of the'cans will tip rearwardly, dueto a stop 25. A can lifting'lever 26 is-p1voted at 27 just forwardly of the stop 25 and beneath the' conveyor. A rod 28 connects this lever with a quick acting cam 29 like the cam 20. 'The cam pivots the lever upwardly in a manner-lifting the can thereabove to upright 'tion. If the can is already in upright position, then the lever 26 will serve merely to push it past the stops25. The belts then continue the movement of the can and discharge the same onto the conveyor 3. It will be noted that all the cans fall oif the 'conveyor 6 and onto the conveyor 3 with their open ends pointin outwardly.

The various mec anisms described may be driven from a power pulley 30 on a shaft 31, bevel gears 32, and shaft 33 on which are mounted the cams and 29. The conve ors 4, 5 and 6 ma be drivenfrom the sha t 33 through linke belts 34, 35, 36 and 37.

It is believed thatthe operation of my machine will be clear without further description herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A machine for arranging open-ended cans comprising the combina-tion of a hopper, a conveyor for carrying the cans from the hopper, conveyor means for receiving cansI from the said conveyor, means cooperating with the said conveyor means for tipping any upright cans thereon onto their sides, and cam-actuated means for receiving the cans from the conveyor means and so arranging the cans that the same will be discharged with their open vends all pointing in the same direction.

v the 2. A `machine for arranging open-ended cans comprising the combination of a hopper, conveyor means for 'carrying cans from the hopper, a conveyor, means for receivin the cans from the said conveyor means an discharging the same onto ,the said conveyor with the open ends thereof inting upwardly or towards the feed endo the machine, and means cooperating with the said conveyor for lifting the downwardly' turned cans to an upright position on their closed ends whereby all the 'canswill be discharged with theiropen ends pointing in one direction.

3. 1n`-a machine for arranging open-ended cans, a feed hopper, a delivery conveyor, `and intermediate mechanism for arranging the cans so tha'ttheir open ends are directed upwardly or towards the feed end of the machine, and means for arranging the cans in upright position prior to depositingthem on elivery conveyor, said delivery conveyor being arranged below the intermediate mechanism and adapted to receive the cans on their.

sides with-the open ends all pointing in the same direction.

4. In a machine for arranging open-ended cans, a feed hopper, a delivery conveyor, conveyor mechanism arranged between said hopper and delivery conveyor, cam-operated means for positioning the cansfso that their open ends are directed upwardly or towards the hopper, and other cam-operated'means for positioning the cans in upright position with their open ends uppermost, prior to depositing them on the delivery conveyor.

. ROBERT M. HUDDLESTON. 

